Friends,

My monthly book club meeting was this week, and I have to admit I missed the mark.

Now, the book assigned, West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, was not a terrible book. It just wasn’t for me for personal reasons. Not because it was poorly written or lacked a plot.

I just couldn’t get into it.

As with my writing, it was wordy. Lots and lots of words to tell a paragraph’s worth of events. I fully expected others to feel the same.

Boy, was I wrong.

They LOVED the book. They loved it so much that there was no chit-chat, no gossip before the meeting. Nope. Everyone sat down and got straight to it. Not going to lie; it was a bit of a dark conversation about animal cruelty, memories of assassinations, pets that had passed away, and struggles of our pasts.

That is what the story of two giraffes’ journey from New York to San Diego after surviving a hurricane did. It sparked something in the others that triggered an emotional response.

That, my friends, is a sign of an excellent book.

And it was a learning moment for me. Sometimes, when we are plodding through life, struggling to make deadlines, do chores, cook dinners, go to meetings, and answer texts… we forget to slow down and read between the lines.

I was so caught up in the hustling of my life- I forgot to smell the roses. I forgot to read the words and hear the story. It moved too slowly for me, so I didn’t give it a chance.

I will go back to the book. Not anytime soon because I won’t be able to give it the time the book deserves. But I will return when the season is right. I will read the book in its entirety and hear the characters’ voices because they lived. It’s a true story (with some embellishments), and every story deserves to be remembered.

Isn’t that what I’m always preaching?

Anyhoo, if you would like to read a story about two giraffes and their journey to the San Diego Zoo in 1938- I am including the link. (West with Giraffes: A Novel: Rutledge, Lynda: 9781542023344: Amazon.com: Books)

And until next time, my friends- keep reading and stay caffeinated.

 Day 45 of 365 days. 320 days left to go.

Friends,

I present to you your weekly writer’s tip!

End Each Day Mid-Sentence

According to a website I found- if you stop in the middle of a sentence, then you have a clear place to start and an easy way to move forward.

I’m not sure about this- but it sounds legit. I might try it out.

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.

Louis L’Amour

Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If tales of legend, myth, and fantasy topped with a cup of coffee interest you, I suggest checking out my book, The Writer and the Librarian. It’s a historical fantasy about a middle-aged woman faced with a decision: accept what is written in the history books or find out for herself the truth behind the stories. Limited edition copies are now available on my website (Shop – R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author (rlgeerrobbins.com) or at

Amazon: https://a.co/d/flQhakX

Barnes and Noble: The Writer and the Librarian by Rose Geer-Robbins, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Target: The Writer And The Librarian – (the Raven Society) By R L Geer-robbins (paperback) : Target

And on any of your favorite Indie Book Store websites!

Current sales as of today= 107/1500

 Day 33 of 365 days. 332 days left to go.

Friends,

Last night was one of those rare moments in the PNW where riding my Harley was possible. It’s been years! Decades! A lifetime since I could ride it.

Okay, it’s been two months- but it feels like forever.

Recently the weather has been iffy. What I mean is that it only rains when I am off or not doing chores. It’s only freezing cold when I take time off. And the sun only shines for an hour a day- usually the hour I drive home from work.

So taking my bike out last night, even if it was only a short ride, was a breath of fresh air.

Now, on to why today is important- it is Groundhog Day. Yes, it is the day Punxsutawney Phil shakes the cobwebs of winter off and heads outside to see if he can find his shadow.

Does anyone else find it ironic that if the sun is shining and he sees his shadow, that means six more weeks of winter?

So I had to do some digging and found the official website of The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club established in 1887. In it were some cool facts about this strange day.

-First established by Germans in America in 1887, Groundhog Day was inspired by Europe’s Candlemas Day, during which clergymen blessed the candles they needed for the cold season. If the candles brought a sunny day, there would be six more weeks of winter.

-Phil’s full name, granted by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, is Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.

-During Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn’t allowed a drink.

-According to Groundhog Club members, there has only been one Phil — and he has predicted since 1887. That makes him 137 years old. He looks great for his age.

-The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was established in 1887 by a group of groundhog hunters. A little ironic if you ask me.

-While the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says Phil is correct 100% of the time, Phil actually has an overall accuracy rate of 39%, which is on par with the PNW weather channel.

-It’s not the only animal that predicts the weather. For 30 years, residents of Vermillion, Ohio, have turned to a very different creature for their annual weather forecast: the woolly bear caterpillar. According to tradition, if the bugs have more orange than black coloring in autumn, the winter will be mild.

-The Oregon Zoo uses Filbert the Beaver. Or it may be Fufu the Hedgehog, depending on what newspaper you read. Texas has Bee Cave Bob the Armadillo. Connecticut celebrates Scramble the Duck.

-North Carolina jumped into the game ten years ago with Pisgah Penny the Squirrel, and New York seeks help from Clucksatawney Henrietta, the Chicken.

-The Essex Country Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey has Essex Ed the Groundhog, whom Punxsutawney Phil mentored.

-The Tennessee Aquarium has Chattanooga Chuck, but I’m confused about why a mammal lives in an aquarium.

-Residents of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, who claim to have been the ‘Groundhog Capital of the World’ for 50 years, have Jimmy the Groundhog.

There you have it- across the U.S., for one day only- we will all anxiously await the decision of the animals to let us know if it’s time to get our Harleys ready for a long-riding season.

Fingers crossed.

And until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

There’s only one day the whole long year, that I hope and pray the sun won’t appear.

unknown

 Day 32 of 365 days. 333 days left to go.

Friends,

Let me start this off by saying that I adore my local USPS workers. I appreciate the hard work, long hours, and smile I am always greeted with when I go in.

BUT…

There is trouble brewing in the world of shipping. I can smell it. I can sense it.

And my packages are feeling it.

Let me explain.

All this started in early December when my mother ordered a holiday gift box of my books for a relative who lives 10 minutes from where I work. The instructions were clear- the package must say it was delivered by ‘Santa’ and needs to be there before Christmas.

I handed the box off to USPS the first week of Christmas. At the USPS station 7 minutes from where it was being delivered. In person. Handed it to a living person with a smile. Tracking number in hand, I left feeling confident my job was done.

Now looking back- that was my first mistake. It was the first week of December. I should have taken the box myself and not used USPS. I knew, in my heart of hearts, it was a terrible idea. But I had limited time and needed the package to travel the 1.5 miles to my cousin’s home.

What could go wrong?

Three days later, it was lost in Seattle. A city 97 miles away. No one could find it. I called and went to the post office three times looking for it. Nothing. They told me it probably fell off a truck along the way. They told me that I should send another package out. They told me that it was usual this time of year.

At least their ‘you’re screwed, get over it’ message was conveyed with a smile.

Fast forward to about a week ago when I got a lovely message from another customer who was checking on their box. They ordered it on the 31st of December, and it was mid-January. I looked at the tracking and saw that it was delivered to my local USPS (like I knew it was), and just like the other one, it was lost.

I headed home and made another box. Now, I need to pause here and tell you that when someone orders my ‘limited edition books,’ it is not just a quick pack-and-go. It takes me about an hour and a half to prepare the books and boxes for each set. Limited edition books are a labor of love and time.

Which, normally, I do gladly.

The box was repacked and sent back into the world of shipping with a blessing by a priest, a quick prayer to the gods, and a medicine man’s chant.

Fast forward again to two nights ago, when I got another order for the limited edition holiday box. (I really need to take them off my website) and I spent almost two hours prepping. At exactly 0705 a.m. yesterday morning, I put the package in the mailbox. The little red flag was up. The mailbox is locked, so no one can steal it. I even double-checked to make sure it was in the mailbox.

It was ready to make the journey to its new forever home.

As of 0400 am this morning, USPS has not secured the package.

I understand the lack of employees. I understand the stress of being overworked. But at this point, I don’t know what else to do. It costs $12.00 to send the boxes through USPS and $32.00 through FedEx. And FedEx hasn’t been much better lately in terms of delivery success rates.

So I have decided to get a credit card, fly to each destination myself and hand deliver. Each box will be a net loss of between $500-$1,500, but I don’t know what else to do. Other than telling people to order from Amazon.

They have a better track record of getting orders to where they need to be in a timely manner.

Which leads me to the motivation for this post. This is another reason why small businesses are failing. It’s not that their hearts aren’t in it. It’s not that they lack business sense. It’s the repetition of situations like this. Each time USPS shrugs its shoulders and says, ‘Oh well,’ I lose a piece of my soul, profit, and motivation.

So, I’m off to the post office again today. I got another order last night, and by TikTok standards, I only have 48 hours to get it on the road. My fingers are crossed that this one makes it and I can find the other.

I really need to quit my day job.

And until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

Well, the post office is probably not the place you want to go if you want to be infused with patriotism and renewed sense of vigor.

Adam Carolla

 Day 31 of 365 days. 334 days left to go.

Friends,

Holy Moly, we made it through the first nine weeks of 2024.

What a month! I don’t know about you- but I’m a little worried about what the next 11 will bring.

So let’s recap the Jan 2024 wins:

1. All my bills were paid on time. That’s a win in this economy.
2. My truck got new shoes. I don’t know if you understand how big this is for me. I love my truck. We are reaching 250,000 miles together, so I am obsessed with getting all the services done.
3. I got attacked on BookTok for being a terrible author, but I turned that very negative situation into something positive.
4. I killed the Raven Society because of point 3. This is the best decision I could have ever made BECAUSE I know it could have been better. In a couple of weeks, I will happily blow raspberries at those who attacked me as a person because of my book.
5. I made it to my first book club meeting. Something I’ve wanted to do for years.
6. I can spot filler words in my writing from a mile away. If you know, you know.
7. Our first show of the year went well. We met a lot of new people and made friends in the reptile world.
8. Most of our rescues and/or unintentional babies have found their forever homes, and my home doesn’t smell like an animal rescue center anymore.
9. I learned that there is no difference between ‘grey’ and ‘gray,’ and I can now check that off as a worry in my writing.
10. And finally, I didn’t quit. Not one time this month did I let all the negativity get to me. I rode the wave and found my own path to the shore. Me and my shadows are finally learning to live in peace with one another.

All in all, I’ll call January a win. I have more gray hair and a few more wrinkles. But once I relaunch the Raven Society- I’ll make an appointment for Botox.

And until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

Henry Ford

 Day 30 of 365 days. 335 days left to go.

Friends,

As some of you know, we spent the weekend at the Pacific Northwest Reptile and Exotic Show. Every three months, we pack up our friends and head across the PNW in hopes of finding their new forever home.

Now, between reptile shows and craft shows, I have learned a lot about people. I can spot a ‘browser’ from a mile away. I know when someone is shopping for a particular animal or piece of art. I am pretty proficient at recognizing when someone is interested, but needs a little information and one-on-one time to make a decision.

I welcome them all to our tables.

BUT…

My head twitches when another group of people beeline my way. This post is dedicated to them. Before you continue- let me explain the reason for it. Vendors have approximately 15-17 hours to showcase their hard work, complete sales, and hopefully bring in a profit so that they can continue to do what they love and support their families.

That is not a lot of time. So walking into a show with this set of recommendations will make your experience more enjoyable and ours too.

WHAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO AT SHOWS

We are not going to have a full-on conversation with your friends about where you’re going to have lunch while standing in front of a booth. Do you know how many times I have to ask people to move because they spent 15 minutes ‘talking’ to each other in front of my merchandise? No one can get around them. They are not in the market to buy. Personally, I don’t give a crap that Dr. Martin is booked up for seven months, and he can’t see you for your knee pain. Move it along.

Business cards are not a free-for-all!

We are not going to allow your five kids to all have a business card because they ‘like the picture.’ It costs money to make those business cards, and they are just going to end up in the trash. Kids don’t need business cards- they don’t have a wallet.

On that note, don’t take a business card because you don’t want to ‘hurt the owner’s feelings.’ If you’re not intending to buy, don’t buy. It’s that simple. We know we will never see you again. Move on. We won’t remember your face or feel offended.

We know when you are lying.

We are not going to say ‘I’ll be back’ if you don’t mean it. Do you know how many snakes, paintings, and books I have set to the side because someone said, ‘I’ll be back?’ All you’ve done is hindered a potential sale. And given me a headache.

We don’t need your life story.

We are not going to hold a vendor up for 40 minutes because you want to talk about how when you were 17, you wanted to be an artist, author, or breeder. Especially if the vendor has a group of people at their booth looking. We had a lady at our booth for 30 minutes showing my hubby pictures of her two frogs. She spent that time educating him on the care, maintenance, and quality of life of frogs. We have NO frogs on our table. My hubby told her five times that he doesn’t like frogs, and yet she kept talking. Finally, I had to intervene, and she acted like I was the rude one.

If you want to talk shop, find the vendor on social media and message them. Most vendors are willing to talk about their craft- just not during a busy show.

On that note- don’t scroll through Facebook for 15 minutes to find the one picture of a snake you had as a child to ‘prove’ you owned one. We don’t care. We won’t remember. We only care if you are in the market for one now. If you’re not, then you are wasting our time.

Watch your children. They have sticky hands.

We are not going to allow our children to touch, play with, or ‘rearrange’ a table to keep them entertained. Do you know how many children try to open a snake container or spider enclosure because they think they are ‘cute?’ Or how many of my son’s paintings I had to chase down because a five-year-old grabbed them and ran?

Common sense goes a long way.

We are not going to ask if the snake will bite. Does it have a mouth? Then, yes, there is potential for a bite to happen. I thought this was common sense, but apparently not.

On that note, don’t ask to hold an animal at a show because ‘you’ve always wanted to.’ Animals are stressed at shows. They are looking for their potential forever home. Not having their pictures taken for social media.

Realize that vendors pay to have tables and merchandise.

Contrary to popular belief, vendors have sunk a lot of money into their displays, merchandise, and tables. This is not a free event for us. This means we are already losing money heading in. We want to recoup the money and make a profit. So no, we don’t have much wiggle room to spend 30 minutes haggling over price because you want a ‘good deal.’ You’re not entitled to get a $500.00 snake or a $10.00 book half off because you are being ‘nice.’ I’m sorry, not sorry.

On that note, I like haggling. And if you’re at the 10%-15% level, then we can maybe talk. But stop thinking that we ‘have to give’ a discount because we are a small business. If you can get a better deal at PetCo or Barnes and Noble- then by all means- do you. But don’t make me feel guilty.

And lastly- stop stealing.

If you think that we won’t ‘notice’ that we are missing a painting, book, or reptile, you’re mistaken. I can’t believe I have to say this. But this is a thing. And ironically, it’s not the younger generation stealing vendors’ stuff. It’s adults who think they are entitled.

As a vendor, I have lost respect for humanity in the last two years. I watch people with narrow eyes and quick hands because I know that if I take my eyes off anyone, I have the potential to lose money. Customers think this is rude, but let’s be honest. It’s a wise business practice. We have been burned too many times, thinking that people respect vendors’ hard work. For every ten people who have good intentions, there are two who don’t.

Don’t get offended. It’s not personal.

This may come across as a rude post, but honestly, I think it is something that needs to be said. I’ll fall on this sword. I want people to come to our tables; I want to talk about my passion. I want to bring joy to a family. But I also want to have a good experience. And make money. That’s the reason why I paid good money to have the tables. So have some common sense and realize that this is a business. Treat us as such.

And until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

The only point in making money is, you can tell some big shot where to go.

Humphrey Bogart

 Day 30 of 365 days. 335 days left to go.

Friends,

Explaining why I killed my own series of books yesterday was exhausting. My hubby was not too pleased, to say the least. He thought it was irrational and emotional and compared it to throwing a small temper tantrum.

Here’s the deal. It was weeks in the making. It was a deliberate move on my part because I have goals. What my goals do not include is half-ass attempts and fingers crossed that people won’t notice my mistakes.

We have trained ourselves to point out each other’s flaws. We, as a society, got pissed when everyone got a ‘participation trophy.’ The most popular YouTube articles, TicToks, Facebook posts, Twitter Tweets, and Instagram photos are of people giving bad reviews.

I sat in a book club meeting with the nicest women in the world and watched as they TORE a New York Best Seller’s book to pieces. I cried for the author. I don’t know who she is, but I sent a little prayer up to the gods that she never heard what was being said about her pride and joy.

I have watched TikTok videos where books were kicked across backyards, set on fire, and torn apart (literally) just because they didn’t like the plot. The characters were too strong, too weak, too needy, too pretty, too ugly.

OR the worst. Where readers slam the author as a person because they didn’t like a fictional book.

And my book was on the way to being featured in one of those.

So, yes, I pulled my books. Because I know what the standards are. And just because I’m an Indie Author doesn’t mean I get special treatment. It means I have to work harder than traditional published authors.

After more than 20 years in the military, if there is one thing I have learned, it is patience, hard work, and never giving up when you fail the first four times.

Yes, I sold books. Yes, I had a community willing to take a ‘chance’ on my books. But I am set on this new path. It’s laid out in front of me. I have a road map, checkpoints, and peace.

Please stay with me, friends. The Raven Society will return, but better than ever.

And until tomorrow my friends, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

Failure is simply the oppurtinity to begin again, this time more intelligently.

Henry Ford

Friends,

It is with a heavy heart and a breath of relief that I announce that I have pulled my books from all the shelves. The Raven Society is no longer. Now it might take a moment for IngramSpark to pull them from all their channels, but I suspect that it will be done in a day or two.

It wasn’t a hard decision, just had to have the nerve to do it.

You see, my friends, people who love you will tell you that something that you produced is good. They will support you and cheer you from the sidelines. They want you to succeed, because in their eyes your a winner.

But in reality, life doesn’t work like that.

My reality cheek that my books were not up to par or worth the stress was when I happily logged on to Amazon to see that someone had ordered book 3. My pride and joy. The story that I really wanted to tell.

Only to have my mother send me a photo that she was the one that ordered the four copies.

Over a thousand copies of book 1 went out to readers, and only 50 people deemed it worthy enough to review. You might think that sounds good because its a slim chance that anyone reviews books. But its a low enough number for me to know that my first book was not good enough for people to want to continue to read the story.

The story wasn’t well written. The story didn’t strike a cord with readers.

It failed.

Am I upset?

A little. Three years of my life. A story that I wanted to tell.

But sometimes you have to admit failure. It was my story. Not a story for others.

Maybe one day I will have the energy to try again. Maybe one day, I will rewrite. But for today, I think that I just want to morn the loss of a goal and find a way forward.

 Day 28 of 365 days. 337 days left to go.

Friends,

If I could un-invent anything, what would it be? I’m glad you asked.

The debit card.

Stick with me on this. The debit card is the devil’s work. It’s easy access to my bank account. I can swipe the thing without a clear understanding of what is in there or what bills I have already scheduled.

Ever since I started carrying a debit card, I haven’t carried a checkbook. And the gods know that I’m not logging into USAA every time I need to see what is ‘pending.’

But if I was forced to carry cash, I think I would be smarter with my money. I would know what was in my wallet because I could physically hold it. Count it. And see where I waste my money.

Like when I spend too much money at Woods Coffee. Or on Amazon when a new book comes out.

Down with the debit card! Except when I need to order groceries or order Door Dash…. then all praise the debit card.

Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the ‘gotta have it’ scale.

Zig Zigler

Until tomorrow my friends, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If tales of legend, myth, and fantasy topped with a cup of coffee interest you, I suggest checking out my book, The Writer and the Librarian. It’s a historical fantasy about a middle-aged woman faced with a decision: accept what is written in the history books or find out for herself the truth behind the stories. Limited edition copies are now available on my website (Shop – R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author (rlgeerrobbins.com) or at

Amazon: https://a.co/d/flQhakX

Barnes and Noble: The Writer and the Librarian by Rose Geer-Robbins, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Target: The Writer And The Librarian – (the Raven Society) By R L Geer-robbins (paperback) : Target

And on any of your favorite Indie Book Store websites!

Current sales as of today= 87/1500

 Day 26 of 365 days. 339 days left to go.

Friends,

100 shirts are pressed, folded, and inventoried.

75 of my son’s paintings are printed, labeled, and priced.

65 snakes are safely tucked into their traveling cases, waiting to find the family who will find just as much joy with them as we do.

2 guniea pigs are ready for transport to their new forever home.

1 show box is stuffed to the brim, filled with everything we are going to need. Though I’m sure we have forgotten something.

Laundry is in the dryer and I will pack in a couple of hours.

Show weekends are always stressful, usually starting two weeks prior when we start the prep phase. Today we move on to set-up phase. This is going to be a big show for us. Lots of vendors. Lots of reptiles. And even more people.

Here’s hoping to a great show. Mama needs new tires for her truck!

Teach your kids to love reptiles and books…. and they won’t have money for drugs.

me

Until tomorrow my friends, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If tales of legend, myth, and fantasy topped with a cup of coffee interest you, I suggest checking out my book, The Writer and the Librarian. It’s a historical fantasy about a middle-aged woman faced with a decision: accept what is written in the history books or find out for herself the truth behind the stories. Limited edition copies are now available on my website (Shop – R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author (rlgeerrobbins.com) or at

Amazon: https://a.co/d/flQhakX

Barnes and Noble: The Writer and the Librarian by Rose Geer-Robbins, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Target: The Writer And The Librarian – (the Raven Society) By R L Geer-robbins (paperback) : Target

And on any of your favorite Indie Book Store websites!

Current sales as of today= 87/1500